Spacing instrument or gauge



Aug. 111, 192g. i

5%. (3. KRDLER ET SPAGING INSTRUMENT 0R GAUGE Filed June 28, 1925 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 B. C1 KRIDLER ET A- SPCING INSTRUMENT OR GAUGE Filed June 28, 1923 J J K 7 Aug. 11, i925.

Aug.- 1'1, i925. 1,549,671

e. c. KRlDLL-:R ET AL l SPAGING INSTRUMENT OR GAUGE arto: um

upper edge face of the bar or mem'ber 10, and the pins 13 atintervals of five inches apart, in correspondence to the desired weather exposure to be allowed to the roofing shingles, when. laid.

The bracket 11 is preferably formed from a metal blank shaped to provide an inverted U-shaped portion having its inner leg portion 15 engaged on kpivot pin 16 carried centrally of a supporting plate 17 which is secured by the fastenings 14- to the bar or member 10, while the outer leg portion 18 thereof is formed with an angular extension 19 disposed in parallel relation to the adjacent side face of the bar or member, substantially as shown.

The bracket 12 is also formed from a single piece of metal shaped to inverted U- form to provide an inner leg portion 15 engaged on a pivot pin or stud 16 carried centrally of a supporting plate 17 secured to the bar or member 10 by the fastenings 14e', and an outer leg portion 18 which is made much shorter than the inner leg` portion 15, for purposes which will be presently explained.

These supporting brackets 11 and 12 are reversible 0n the pivots 16 and 1G correspondingly with the use of either set of the gauging lugs or pins 13 and 13,and to retain the same in either of their operative positions, the inner leg portions 15 and-15 thereof are formed to provide a pair of indents 20, one indent to either side of the pivots 16 and 16', which snap or seat in depressions 21 formed in the supporting` plates 17 and 17 for their reception.

In the modified form of the instrument or gauge, as shown in Figures 9 through 15, the bar or member 10 will have a bracket 11a secured in position on one of its side faces by means of the fastenings 14, and a bracket 12a on the same side face by means of the fastenings 14th, while the gauging lugs or pins 132' will be driven or otherwise secured in theupper edge only of the bar or member in uniformly7 spaced and aligned relation.

The bracket 11a, in this instance of the invention, is preferably formed from a metal blank shaped to provide an inverted U- shaped portion having its inner leg 15a secured against the side face of the bar or member 10 by the fastenings 14a, and its outer leg portion 18a formed at its free depending end with an angular extension 19a extending parallel to the side face of the adjacent end portion of said bar or member.

The bracket 12a is preferably shaped from a single piece of metal to substantially U-form with its inner leg portion 15b in the form of a supporting plate secured against the side face of the bar or member 10 by means of the fastenings 14th, and its outer leg 1tb shortened to an appreciable extent relative to the inner leg 15b, substantially as shown.

In use, the bar or member 10 is to be supported in parallel relation alongside of a rafter of a roof by engaging the U-shaped portions of the brackets 11 and 12 over an adjacent rafter, with the bracket 11 at the inner or upper end of the bar or member and the bracket 12 at the outer or lower end thereof. The U-shaped portion of the bracket 11, in either instance of the invention, is of a substantial depth to fully engage over the top edge of the rafter, and the angular extension 2O engages the side face of the latter opposite to that face against which the bar or member 10 is positioned and acts thereon in a manner to maintain the bracket engaged at all times against accidental displacement therefrom. The U-shaped portion of the bracket 12 is also of a sufficient depth to engage over the rafter but the outer leg portion 18 thereof is shortened so as to be readily disengaged from engaged position, by a slight upward raising of the lower end of the bar or member 10, without causing the bracket 11 from being disengaged at the same time. When properly positioned on a rafter, the uppermost edge face of the bar or member 10 is disposed in a plane slightly below the top edge of the adjacent rafter, so that a clearance is provided between this face of the bar, or member and the under sides of the furrinq-z` strips, after the latter are laid on and secured to the rafters of the roof. This clearance allows for the slight upward movement necessary to release the bracket 12 from engaged iposition on the adjacent rafter. when it is desired to remove the bar or member 10 from the rafter or to adjust the same along` the latter to a new position for the completion of the laying of the furring strips over the entire roof. `With the bracket 12 fully freed from its engagement with the adjacent rafter, the bar or member 10 may be allowed to swing downwardly from its parallel relation to the rafter. when the bracket 11 will act as a pivot for the necessary swinging movement but will remain engaged with the rafter. above the last furring strip laid and secured in position, by reason of the greater depth of its U- shaped portion and of the angular extension formed therewith. With the bar or member 10 in position on a rafter, the free ends of the several lugs or pins 13, projecting from the upper most side edge of the same, will project for a distance above the plane of the top edge of the adjacent rafter for the abutting against the same of the furring strips as they are laid and secured in position on the several rafters of the roof. By abutting the furring strips against the lower sides of each of the pins 13, these strips will be properly gauged in spaced relation one with respect to the other for the laying;` of the standardI forms of rooting shingles thereon in the usual manner.

ln the preferred form of the invention, es shown in Figures l throun'h 5%, and. as he einbefore explained, the set-s of pins 12B and f3', at the upper ard lower "i es` of the bar or member are spaced at different distances apart, the set 13' to one standard of weatherexposure lenrgth of shingle and thc set 13 to another standard of weather eX- posure length, so that, having determined the d'esired exposed length of shingle required,l the bar or member ll() will. be reversed end for end' to bringl the proper set of eraupjingt lnpjs or pins uppermost, when the brackets 11 and 12 will be swung' on their respective pivots 16 and 16 accordingly to suspend the bar or member from an adjacent rafter.

Referringl particularly to Figures 1 and 2, in laying a shingle roof on the rafters a, a starting or eaves-board is first secured in position alongthe lower ends of the rafters a, and afterwards the furring strips c are secured upwardly7 of the rafters in equidistantly spaced relation, one parallel to the other and to the starting board Z), and it is the function of the present instrument or gauge to facilitate the accurate laying; and securing' of these furring strips c in such position, and, to this end, two or more of the instruments or gauges are employed for the purpose, the same being applied to alternately disposed rafters, or rafters otherwise removed one from another, so that t-he opposite ends of any one of the furrinrfg strips to be laid and secured will extend across adjacent instruments of Lgauges for the abutting; of the same against the complemental of the gauging' lugs or pins 13.

Now. with the starting or eaves-board Z) secured in position, the brackets 11 and 12 of each of the. instruments or gauges employed, will be ennapged over an adjacent rafter a, with the U-shaped portion of the bracket 12 abutting the inner edfge of the starting' board, when a number of furringr strips c will be laid on the rafters a, one at the lower side of each of the lugs or pins 13 of the instruments or granges, when the furring strips will be moved successively upward of the rafters into abuttinar relation to the near sides of the lues or pins 13 and theu nailed into position. When the nailing' operation is completed on a number of the furrinpj strips corresponding to the number of the lugs or pins 13 on one side of the instruments or lcfauges, and it is desired or necessary to adjust the instruments or gauges higher up the rafters e for the completion of the laying' of the furrinn strips 0. the lower ends of the gauges will be raised to free the brackets from engagement with the adjacent rafters. By now moving the lower ends of the gauges sidewise, the tlf-shaped portions thereof willl clear the top edges of the rafters, when, by releasing the granges, the same will swing' downwarcl'j,v to lthe dotted line position as shown in Figure l. during' which swingingY movement, thel lnac-kets 11 will act as pivot-'s and the cir-- tensions 1S) thereof will prevent the accidental disengagement thereof from the rafters. The brackets 11 may now he slid upwardly along the engaged rafters to or toward the ridire of the roof framing, and the brackets 12 again engaged over the rafters and disposed in abutting` lrelation to the upper side edge of the uppermost of the furring` strips previously laid and secured. lllitlithe gauges adjusted to their new positions, tlie laying' andl nailing` of the furrinfT strips o will, be continued' untilthe required number of the same have been placed.

To retain the gauges 10 in initially adjusted position, and aggainst accidental displacement durinn the laying' and nailing of the furrino' strips c. the connected portions of the U-shaped portions of the brackets 11 are preferably provided with openings 22a, through which nails will be driven for the purpose, these nails being withdrawn when it is desired or necessary to further adjust the gauges.

With the foregoing understanding; of the invention, it will be readily obvious that the gauges are capable of use with equal facility by unskilled as well as by skilled labor; that the same may be instantly applied tothe rafters in a manner to save much time and labor in effecting a quick and proper spacingr of the furrinastrips over the methods now employed for the purpose; and that they are practical, fool-proof and accurate in operation and may be of any desired size or capacity.

lt will also be understood that. while preferred embodiments of the instrument or ojauoe have been described and illustrated herein in specific terms and details of construction, arrangement and operation. various chances in and modifications of the same, may be resorted to without departing; from the spirit of the invention, or the scope of the claims appended hereto.

Having' thus fully described the invention, what is claimed, is

1.. A gauge as characterized comprising a bar, rafter-engageable brackets carried on opposite ends of said bar. and furringz;` strip spacers disposed in longitudinal spaced relation on said bar.

2. A gauge as characterized comprising a bar, brackets on one side of said bar at opposite ends thereof for engagement over a rafter` and furring strip spacing members carried in longitudinal spaced relation on the top of said bar.

3. A gauge as characterized comprising a bar of rectangular cross-section, brackets eX- tending laterally from the opposite ends thereof from one side face, said brackets being formed to engage over the top of a rafter with the body of the bar disposed below the top thereof, and spacing pins projecting from the top of said bar in longitudinal spaced relation thereon.

4. A gauge as characterized comprising a bar of rectangular cross-section, brackets eX- tending laterally from one side face thereof and at opposite ends thereof for engagement over a rafter with the bar disposed belen7 the top thereof and parallel therewith, and a series of longitudinally spaced furring strip `gauge pins in said bar and projecting above the top of the engaged rafter When applied.

A gauge as characterized comprising a `bar adapted to lie parallel to and against a rafter, brackets extending laterally from opposite ends of said bar for engagement over the rafter to suspend said bar from one side thereof slightly below the top thereof, one of said brackets being pivoted on said bar, and longitudinally spaced gauge pins projecting from the top of said bar above the top of the engaged rafter when applied 6. A gauge as characterized comprising a bar adapted to lie parallel to and against one side of a rafter, brackets extending laterally from opposite ends of said bar and at one side thereof, one of said brackets being formed to engage over the top and one side of the rafter, the other of said brackets being formed to engage over the top of said rafter whereby to suspend said bar from 'the rafter at one side thereof, and gauge pins disposed in longitudinal spaced relation on said bar for projection above the top of the engaged rafter.

BERNIE C. KRIDLER. JAMES C. BOYLE. 

